Devin Haney made history on Saturday night and still walked out to a chorus of criticism. The former undisputed lightweight champion and reigning pound-for-pound player officially became a three-division world champion, dropping Brian Norman Jr. and winning a clear unanimous decision in his welterweight debut to claim the WBO title.
Haney (33-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC) boxed composed, disciplined, and largely in control against Norman (28-1, 22 KOs, 1 NC), securing the kind of clean, drama-free victory he sorely needed after a rough 18-month stretch.
But while the result was decisive, the reaction from some corners of the boxing world was anything but glowing.